


Scion

by htbthomas



Category: Legion of Superheroes, Smallville, Superman Returns (2006)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Dimension Travel, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-07-28
Updated: 2008-07-27
Packaged: 2017-10-05 00:11:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/htbthomas/pseuds/htbthomas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chloe, Clark and Lois encounter a strange visitor… from another dimension. Smallville–Superman Returns–Legion of Superheroes crossover. Mostly set in the Smallville universe, with a few comics touches.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A birthday fic for lilyoftheval5.

He floated high above the ground, invisible to the naked eye… invisible even to X-ray, infrared, or even telescopic vision… with a string of failures in his past dealings with Earth's heroes, it was best to be infinitely cautious.

_No, not failures,_ he reminded himself, _simply unsuccessful attempts._ When one had an infinite lifespan, the past was insignificant. His time spent planning to conquer Earth was merely a molecule in the time stream, the Earth a gnat hardly worth his attention.

Still, a gnat which needed to be swatted.

Before him were the windows of the _Daily Planet_ building, Clark Kent's place of employment. In the 31st century, his 'home' time period, Kent's identity was known, his life a subject for the history books. No man, human or otherwise, was as greatly revered in Earth's history as Kal-El, son of Krypton.

Kal-El had proven troublesome in the 31st century, as well as in his original timeline, even as Superboy. Perhaps if he could not defeat the Kryptonian in his own dimension – at least not _yet_ – he could dispose of him in this alternate reality. Particularly this one – one in which Superman did not yet have any superpowered allies.

He brought his golden-gloved hands up, waving them in a series of patterns that no mere mortal could duplicate, and intoned a few short phrases:

_Invok'd by the power of the Scar of Scath's  
Depart from here the scion of Krypton's last!_

He lowered his hands with a satisfied nod. He would come back later to be sure of his handiwork, but for now there were other worlds to control. Without even a discernable shimmer to mark his passing, the sorcerer Mordru disappeared.

* * *

He shuddered and opened his eyes slowly, adjusting to the evening light coming through the blinds, the only light in the room. He had been having a very strange dream, one with all swirling colors and nauseating light. But as he stretched, the sounds of the _Daily Planet_ soothed him.

He came to a sitting position on the couch, the black leather squeaking under his weight. He wondered whether his dad had returned yet from his mission to the moon. It would probably be on TV if he went into the bullpen…

_Wait… the leather squeaking…?_

With a start, Jason White's eyes fully adjusted to the office he was sitting in. This was _not_ the same room he'd gone to sleep in. He had never been in this room before – he would have remembered – his mom had told him he'd inherited his good memory from his dad.

Had someone kidnapped him? Maybe Lex Luthor, the bad man from a couple of years ago?

Frantically, he leapt to his feet, searching for some sign, some object that would give him a clue…

…and his eyes landed on a copy of the _Daily Planet_. He lifted the paper from the desk – he didn't recognize the name plate – and tried to read the words quickly. At seven, Jason was getting faster, but he wasn't as fast as his dad was yet. After he had turned a couple of pages, he sighed with relief. Under a small article on the city council was an article by Lois Lane.

So he _was_ in the _Daily Planet,_ somehow. Listening again, he could hear the sounds of reporters typing on computers, and getting interviews over the phone. When he focused intently, he could hear the printing presses far below in the basement. But why did everything look different? He'd only curled up to take a nap for an hour or so – he hadn't been sleeping _that_ long!

Setting the paper back on the desk, Jason crept toward the door of the darkened office and slowly inched it open.

The door opened onto the bullpen floor, which was filled with desks and computers, people and noise. It looked very different though, the colors all wrong. And worse yet, he didn't see anyone he recognized at all…

He spied the elevator at the far end of the room and made a decision. If he could get out of here, and onto the roof, maybe he could shout for his dad. If he was back from his mission, he should be able to hear him anywhere in the world. If not…? Well, he was getting better at waiting. Really.

Jason slipped out of the doorway and closed the door behind him with a quiet click. He walked quickly, trying to make a beeline for the elevators, smoothly weaving in and out of the busy reporters crossing his path. Most people ignored him in the bullpen he knew well, so hopefully he could make it out of here without anyone noticing…

"Hey," a female voice called from the right. "Are you lost?"

He stopped. Something in the voice sounded familiar – a tone of concern he associated with his mom… He turned and saw a young blonde woman, her fingers paused over her keyboard in mid-stroke.

"Um…" he said, biting his lip. "Maybe."

Her eyes twinkled and she tilted her head. "Maybe?"

"Yeah. I'm…" He struggled with the right thing to say. He still wasn't sure if someone had brought him here on purpose, or if this was some big mistake. Finally, he decided on the most important truth. "I'm looking for my parents."

She stood, and came over to him, crouching down slightly to face him at eye level. "Well, my mom is about as tall as you, except she has brown hair, kind of curly." It was weird. This lady looked a _lot_ like his mom, actually. "And my dad is really tall, with black hair and—"

Suddenly the young woman's eyes flickered to the left, toward a man who was coming from the elevators. "Chloe," he said. "Did you get a chance to…?" The man trailed off when he realized she was talking to Jason.

Jason did a double take. "Da—Clark!" The man looked almost exactly like his dad – or really, just like his dad had looked in the pictures from Smallville. But instead of a business suit and glasses, he was wearing a red jacket, t-shirt and jeans.

Clark's face took on a puzzled smile. "Do we know each other?"

_He doesn't know who I am!_ "Uh…" Jason stammered, thoroughly confused.

"He's looking for his parents," Chloe said, gesturing to Jason. "A woman with brown wavy hair, and a tall man with black hair. Did you see anyone like that coming in?"

"I might have…" His dad – or the younger version of his dad – looked upward in thought. Exactly the way his dad looked when accessing his perfect memory. "Were they together?"

"Um…" Jason ran a hand through his hair, his eyebrows drawing together in a distressed frown. He had no idea where he was, or what to do! Was he still asleep?

"Oh, hey, Smallville," a familiar voice called from behind him. "Who's this?"

Jason turned slowly – almost afraid to look into the face he knew he'd see. But as soon as he saw her, it didn't matter that her clothes and hair weren't exactly right. He suddenly felt an outpouring of overwhelming relief, and raced the distance between them to rush into her unsuspecting arms.

"Mom!"

* * *

Part 2 - TBC (the plot bunny ran away from me on this one). :)


	2. Chapter 2

"Mom!"

If Clark had been surprised before that the kid knew his name, he was floored now. "_Mom_?"

Lois' eyes were as wide as saucers, a mix of horror and amusement on her face. "Uh, kid," she said, trying to disentangle herself from the boy's tight grasp, "I'm not _anyone_'s mom. I don't even know if I even want to _have _kids…" Her face twisted in concentration as she was unable to extricate herself.

"Maybe you just look like his mom, Lois." Chloe knelt beside the boy. "Honey, I know you're probably scared. But we'll help you find your mom and dad."

The boy relaxed his hold and pulled away, his face suddenly crestfallen. "Okay," he said in a quiet voice.

"What's your name?" Clark asked gently.

"Jason." As he answered, the boy's eyes seemed to stare past them all, as if he were searching blindly for something, anything familiar.

"And what are your parents' names?" Chloe cajoled.

At this question, the boy froze. Then he looked down at his feet and whispered under his breath.

Lois stood, brushed herself off and straightened her skirt. "What was that? We couldn't hear you."

But Clark _had_ heard him, as clear as day. _"Clark Kent and Lois Lane."_ Clark's eyes darted to the boy's face in consternation.

And at that moment, the boy looked directly into his own eyes with a knowing nod. Louder, he said, "Ka—Calvin and… Lola."

Clark's mind froze. This kid, Jason, had not only whispered that Clark was his dad, and Lois was his mom – but he had obviously expected Clark to hear it! And what's more, he was certain Jason had almost said 'Kal-El'…

"Heh," Lois commented with a laugh. "I may not be his mom… but when you two look at each other like that, he's practically the spitting image of _you_." She raised an eyebrow and smiled slyly. "There some dark secret in your past I don't know about, farm boy?"

"Very funny, Lois." Usually Lois' teasing didn't really bother him, but he needed to find out just who Jason was, where he came from, and how he seemed to know what he knew! "Hey, why don't we let these ladies get back to work, and I'll help you look for your parents."

"Uh…" Jason looked unsure, glancing back and forth between him and Lois.

Clark turned toward the elevators, away from the others. _"And if you can hear me right now, we really need to talk."_ When he turned back, Jason's eyes were bright with hope. "If we can't find them, I'll bring you back up here, okay?"

"We'll keep an eye out up here, too, all right, kid?" Lois gave him an awkward squeeze on the shoulder.

Chloe smiled. "Don't worry, Jason." She put her hand on his shoulder and he gave her an uncomfortable smile. "Clark can help. He's good at helping people."

Jason startled, eyes flicking in surprise between Chloe and Clark. "So's…" he began, and then swallowed and straightened his shoulders. "So's my dad. _Super_ good at it."

Chloe and Clark exchanged looks. "_Super_?" Chloe murmured.

Lois asked, oblivious, "What is he, a firefighter or something?" Despite what Lois had said about not knowing if she wanted kids, she seemed charmed by the boy.

"Um, kinda…"

Chloe suddenly took Jason around the shoulders and started to shoo the two boys toward the hallway. "You know what? I think I need a break anyway. I'll help you look." Pausing, she grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder. "Maybe I can get the security guys to help out."

"Later, Lois," Clark called out over his shoulder.

As Chloe hustled them out, Clark heard Lois mutter, "There they go again…"

Once in the elevator, Chloe punched the button to the ground floor and let the doors shut. "Jason, are—"

But Chloe was cut off by the boy's insistent question. He grasped Clark's arm urgently. "You heard me before, didn't you?"

"And you heard me, too," Clark verified.

"You _are_ my dad, then." Jason released his hold. "Why do you look so young? And where are your glasses?"

Chloe, who'd been following this exchange with growing alarm, jumped in. "Whoa, whoa, _whoa_! _Clark_ is your _dad_?"

"And Lois Lane is my mom, too. But the lady out there isn't old enough, either." He frowned. "But she doesn't know about you yet…" Jason's eyes flew wide in shock. "How come _she_ knows?" He pointed toward Chloe accusingly.

"Knows what?"

"That you're Superman."

"Super_who_?"

His frown suddenly changed to a thoughtful realization, and he turned back to Chloe. "Are you Aunt Lana?"

* * *

"So let me get this straight. In your world, Lois and Clark are married, Lex Luthor is a wanted criminal, Lana is married to this… Richard… and I don't exist?" Chloe ran a hand over her face. "And Clark here dresses up like some sort of flag-waving Warrior Angel?"

Clark crossed his arms and leaned against one of the filing cabinets in the storage room. "And I fly around with a big 'S' on my chest, don't forget that," he added, shaking his head.

They had determined that Jason had simply appeared in the _Daily_ _Planet_ building. Jason didn't seem to be from the future so much as from some sort of alternate reality. But he had no idea how he had gotten here. And neither Chloe nor Clark had any idea how to get him home.

But his stories about his dad and mom were very intriguing… What would it be like to be able to operate freely? To be able to save people without any fear of exposure? To have his alien nature known and accepted by everyone…? Well, not everyone. It seemed that Lex Luthor was just as obsessed with him in that world as this one.

And what about Lois? The two of them were married with a son, were working partners… and apparently their romance had been a rollercoaster ride, too. But Jason seemed like a really sweet kid, one who had inherited Clark's Kryptonian heritage. He had super-hearing at least – Clark wasn't sure what else.

He looked at Jason standing over by Chloe, peering over her shoulder at the search she was running on her League-provided PDA. His heart softened a little bit more.

What would it be like to finally feel as if he weren't alone?

Chloe tapped a few more keys on her PDA. "I can't find any mention of a Richard White who is a reporter _or_ a pilot..."

"And Mom never mentioned any cousin. We go and visit Aunt Lucy and Uncle Ron sometimes…"

"It doesn't mean there isn't a Richard White here and a Chloe Sullivan there, though…" Clark pointed out.

"I know, this is just—" Chloe chuckled. "I was about to say this was _too_ weird. But we both know this isn't the weirdest thing to happen to any of us." She brightened. "Should I give Ollie a call? See what he can find out?"

Clark shook his head. "Not yet. I'd rather not get the League involved." Clark wasn't quite ready to share his alien heritage with them. Better safe than sorry. "I hate to say this, but maybe I should go 'up North.'"

"To the Fortress?"

Clark turned to look at Jason with disbelieving amusement. Of course, there was a Fortress there in his world. "Yes. My father might know of a way to communicate between dimensions." Clark took a deep breath. "But talking to Jor-El…"

"…is always a crap shoot," Chloe sighed. "You never know if he's going to help or harm."

"But it seems like the best option right now." Clark turned to the boy. "Jason, stay here with Chloe. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Clark walked to the door, but before he could do more than unlock it, Jason was suddenly in front of him. _Add super-speed to the list._ "I want to go, too!"

Chloe gasped. "Oh, my God!"

Clark ignored the display, and crouched down in front of the boy. "No, it's too dangerous… you really should stay here."

"But what if I disappear from here, too, while you're gone?"

Jason's heartbeat was loud in his ears. This kid was truly scared. But with Clark's experiences in the Fortress – up to and including his recent conflict with Lex – he didn't know if bringing Jason with him would be any safer. "I really don't—"

"Please, take me with you? I'll be okay!" He zipped over to the filing cabinet Clark had been leaning against. "I'm really strong!"

Jason lifted the heavy filing cabinet above his head, startling another gasp out of Chloe.

But while Clark was distracted with Jason's feat of strength, the door to the storage room suddenly opened. "I thought I heard your voices in here… I thought you were look—"

Lois stopped mid-word, her mouth dropping in shock. She looked between each of them in confusion, settling again on Jason's suddenly contrite face. "Ho-ly crap."

* * *

Part 3 - TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Lois closed her mouth slowly, eyes centering on the boy, Jason, holding a filing cabinet over his head. What _was_ he… a meteor freak? Her heart was suddenly pierced with sadness at the thought of this little kid having to deal with something like that…

"Hey, don't you think you should maybe put that down?" she asked quietly, shutting the door behind her. Lois had no idea why Chloe and Clark were standing there nearly dumbstruck, but someone had to do _something_.

She took a couple of careful steps toward him. "Just set it down as slowly as you can. We don't want you to get hurt."

"No, I'm okay, Mo—Miss." Jason lowered the cabinet to the floor as if it were no heavier than his bookbag. "I've lifted a lot more than that before."

Lois reached his side as he stepped away, and knelt down in front of him. This was much bigger than a child who had lost track of his parents. "Kiddo, what's really going on here?"

Something about the way she said that made Jason's face light up. "Well—" he began, but his eyes fell on Clark behind her and he closed his mouth again.

Lois twisted around to look at Clark and her cousin. "_You guys_ know what's going on here?" A horrifying thought entered her mind. "Don't tell me you're writing a story—"

"No!" Clark and Jason blurted out as one.

"Geez, Lois, what kind of hack do you think I _am_?" Chloe exclaimed with annoyance, folding her arms across her chest.

"Hey!" Lois stood, holding her hands up in apology. "I thought you'd put your _Wall of Weird_ days behind you, too. But you gotta admit this hiding-in-the-storage-room thing looks a little suspicious…"

Jason put a hand on her elbow. "They're trying to help me… get home."

"Home? I thought you were looking for your parents…? Has someone taken them…?" Her eyes narrowed. "Does Lex have anything to do with this?"

"Not this time," Clark said.

"We _think_," Chloe clarified.

Jason cut in next. "I know where my parents are."

Chloe and Clark suddenly looked very nervous. Lois simply raised her eyebrows and waited.

"I just don't know how to get back to them."

Her friends deflated slightly, and Clark put a hand on Jason's shoulder. "I promise you I'll try to find a way." Clark moved toward the door, and grasped the doorknob.

"But I still think I should go with you!" Jason cried out pleadingly, rushing to his side.

Clark frowned, and put a hand on his back, leading him over to the corner of the storage room. The two of them put their heads together and whispered so quietly that Lois couldn't even tell who was talking. Did the kid have telepathy, too?

Watching them, Lois felt an odd sense of protectiveness. The poor boy seemed so lost and alone… and yet, at the same time, he had a strong sense of determination. Though Lois had never really gotten on well with kids, there was something about him that drew her to him. And it wasn't just because he'd called her 'Mom.'

Jason's voice got stronger just then. "I still don't understand. Why do I need to stay here?"

"It's safer here, sweetie." Chloe walked over to Jason and took his hand.

Lois was more confused than ever. She could feel the tension in the air, and she couldn't stand it. "Look," she said. "I don't know _what_ is going on here, but can't we _all_ help?"

"Yes!" Jason agreed loudly. At Clark's stern look, he softened his tone. "Please… you can trust her. Don't make the same mistake_ my_ dad did."

Clark stood there for a moment, seemingly stunned. Then his lips compressed in resolve. "Fine."

In the next moment she felt a gust of air as the door suddenly opened. Papers scattered everywhere in the sudden breeze. And Clark was nowhere to be seen.

Before Lois could even form a shocked exclamation, Clark was back in front of them, carrying a couple of heavy parkas. "You're going to need a coat."

* * *

As her eyes readjusted after the blinding light of the portal, Lois hugged her arms for warmth. But she forgot the cold as she got a better look around the place, all towering spires of crystal and vaulting space. "I've _been_ here before…" She turned to look at Clark in shock. "_This_ is your Fortress?"

"The one and only," Chloe put in as she walked in behind her.

Clark only nodded sheepishly. Then he turned away from her and strode into the center of the open area. "Jor-El! We need your help!" he shouted, his voice echoing against the crystal. Jason trailed after him.

From the moment Clark had revealed his powers to her, Lois' mind had been trying to wrap itself around all of this new information. Clark was an alien from the planet Krypton, his cousin Kara had been, too, though she was now trapped in some sort of dimensional prison out in space… He had all sorts of amazing abilities like super-speed, super-hearing, super-strength, X-ray vision – suddenly his presence at all of these strange events made _so_ much more sense… Chloe had known about his secret for a couple of years now – and their secrecy also made a ton of sense now…

Even more shockingly, it seemed that Lois and Clark were _married _in some alternate universe, with Jason as their son – and the boy had inherited several of his father's abilities. That explained the connection she had felt immediately for Jason as well.

In fact, Clark's explanations made the last four years of her life fall into place. And even though she had so many more questions, they could wait until they got Jason home. Though she had no idea how they would do it… but Jason had insisted that Lois should come along.

What could _she_ do to help? She could hardly form a coherent sentence after everything she had just learned.

"Jor-El! Are you here?" Clark called out again, startling Lois out of her thoughts. "Why isn't he answering?"

"Maybe when the Fortress rebuilt itself, the AI got damaged?" Chloe suggested.

Lois shrugged, not really understanding what they were talking about, and noticed Jason standing over by a cluster of crystals almost as tall as he was. He gently pulled on a crystal in front of him, and slid it out. He then lifted it toward the top of the contraption.

At the last moment, Clark turned to see what Jason was up to. As the crystal slid into a slot near the top with a click, Clark cried, "Jason, what are you—?"

Suddenly, a huge floating hologram appeared above the console. A gray-haired man, human in appearance, spoke to Clark in a regal tone. _"Kal-El, my son. I have waited long to speak to you this way. Have you decided it is time to begin your training?"_

_What training?_ Lois thought, but stayed silent.

"How did you—?" Clark looked at Jason in wonder – the boy simply smiled. He cleared his throat and faced the apparition. "I was actually hoping you could help us with a problem."

_"A problem concerning these humans you have brought with you?"_

"Well… not everyone here is completely human. I'd like you to meet Jason." Clark gestured toward the boy. "He's half-Kryptonian… or at least he says he is. And I believe him."

A magenta-colored light burst from the top of the console and traveled downward, bathing Jason in an eerie glow. _"It appears he is correct, Kal-El. And he seems to share many of your genetic characteristics. Is he your son?"_ The voice, which had been quite cool and collected, was suddenly sounding perplexed.

Clark seemed to struggle as well. "Not exactly… he's the son of… a me from another dimension… we think."

There was a long pause while the head seemed to deliberate this information. Chloe came to stand beside Lois. She was obviously as enthralled with the hologram as Clark was, her face rapt with wonder. Only Jason seemed to take it all in stride, a hopeful nervousness in his stance.

_"Kryptonian scientists had speculated that alternate dimensions might exist, but we were never able to find any tangible proof. But young Jason here seems to be exactly what he claims."_

"Are things always so different in alternate dimensions? Jason tells me his father is an actual superhero, with a costume and a cape."

_"On the contrary, we speculated that most things were very much the same. Only some of the details might be different – such as having children or not having them. Perhaps there are an infinite number of parallel Earths, each with a different version of you. In one perhaps, you are not only a superhero, but one who works as part of a larger team spanning galaxies. In another, you may have a mundane job that means as much or more to you as helping people with your gifts. Maybe there is a world where you were raised by your birth parents… or one where your adoptive parents are both still alive."_

Clark's face took on a pained expression for a moment. "And having a family of my own?" Clark asked quietly.

Jor-El's voice turned compassionate. _"Your mother and I never believed it was possible… but perhaps even in this world, there is a way."_

Lois looked away – she couldn't bear to meet Clark's eyes if he turned toward her… just the thought of knowing their counterparts were in love in another universe brought back an uncomfortable reminder of the way Lois had "fallen" for Clark under the influence of that tainted red lipstick.

"You helped me before to travel to the past…" Clark spoke again, and Lois looked back at the conversation with surprise. "Can you find a way to send him back to his own dimension?"

_"This is… difficult. A great deal of careful computation is involved. The slightest mistake in the calculations could prove fatal for young Jason… or worse."_

Jason's face fell, his hands balling into fists. Lois' inertia was suddenly broken. She quickly walked over to where he stood, and put a consoling arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry, kid," she murmured. "They'll figure it out, I'm sure."

"How long would it take?" Clark persisted.

_"If such a transfer is even possible, it might be as long as… several of your Earth months."_

"Months?"

"Nooo…" Jason buried his head in Lois' side, and she wrapped her arms around him. _Poor thing!_

Suddenly a blinding white light appeared on the other side of the antechamber and everyone spun to face it. Clark was in front of all of them in a flash, arms outstretched to block them from harm. Obviously, this wasn't something Jor-El was doing.

When the light died away, a golden sphere hovered before them. A portal opened in the side and two shadowy figures stepped through. The first was a young man, possibly a teenager, with blond hair… pupil-less violet eyes… and green skin. A pattern of three connected white circles was emblazoned across his forehead. His clothing was positively futuristic, black and maroon, with the same triple-circle pattern across the chest.

The second was a young woman with long blonde hair, magenta-colored eyes with matching spherical earrings. Her clothing was no less striking – white with magenta side panels.

Clark tensed, his fists coming up in a protective gesture.

"Not friends of yours, I take it," Lois muttered. Clark didn't respond, his attention completely on the intruders.

The young man stepped forward, raising a hand in greeting. "Do not be alarmed. We're here to hel—" He stopped in confusion.

Their male visitor looked between each of them… Clark, Jason, Lois and Chloe… and then shared a significant look with his fellow traveler. "Uh oh, Imra. I think this is more complicated than I imagined."

* * *

Part 4 – TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Clark tensed and readied for action. _Who are these people? And what are they doing in my Fortress!_ His stomach was already in knots – as much as an invulnerable stomach could be – because of all of the revelations of the last three hours.

And Lois had hardly batted an eyelash when she had been told all of this – that in an alternate reality, Lois and Clark (who was a superpowered alien from the planet Krypton, both here and in the alternate reality) were married and Jason was their superpowered son.

There was something horribly wrong about that.

For a moment, he wondered if this Lois was _also_ from some alternate dimension…

But there was no time to worry about that anymore. "Who are you?" he demanded, voice full of mistrust. Were they Zoners? Some undiscovered threat?

The green one came forward another step. "I apologize. My name is B… Querl Dox, and this is my compatriot, Imra Ardeen. We are from the 31st century, and members of the Legion of Superheroes. Clark Kent, we believe we can help with young Jason's plight."

"31st Century?" Jason asked in wonder.

"Legion of Superheroes?" Chloe added, just as amazed. Lois remained silent, tightening her grip on Jason.

"Yes," the blonde girl, Imra, answered, her voice soothing and melodious. "This is our team insignia." She gestured to her belt, which contained a stylized 'L' on a circle of gold. "We're very much like your Justice League."

Querl, the green one, had lifted his arm, and had been tapping buttons on a computerized display there. "They aren't publicly active in this reality, Imra. At least I don't think so…" He trailed off, mumbling to himself as he punched more buttons, "And Lois Lane shouldn't even _be_ here. Chloe Sullivan, on the other hand…"

The fact that these strangers knew everyone's names, _and_ were aware of Oliver Queen's clandestine group made Clark even more suspicious. His eyebrows drew down in challenge. "I don't trust people who just barge into my life without a better explanation than that. I can't afford to. How do you know who we are?"

Imra and Querl shared another long glance. "This is a bit different. _Our_ Clark was much more accepting…" Imra said with apparent concern.

"This Clark has had a much more difficult journey than our Clark had," Querl answered Imra, ignoring Clark altogether. "If you study his file, you will see that he has considerable cause for his suspicion."

"Hey!"

All eyes turned to Lois. Her previous shell-shocked expression was replaced with one of her usual annoyance. "He asked you a question. Or have people forgotten about manners in the 31st century?"

Querl chuckled, murmuring to Imra, "Well, _there's_ one thing that isn't different here…" Louder, he said, "I'm sorry, how rude we must seem. In the future, the events of the 21st century are a matter of historical record. And we are aware of the various dimensions that exist in harmony with our own. It was not easy to find you here, but as I possess a 12th level intellect, I was able to calculate the correct time-space vector for the Time Bubble."

Chloe moved beside Clark, though she stayed behind his still-upraised arm. "All right, I guess I can accept you're some sort of time travelers… or dimension hoppers… but what's this business about 'this Clark' and 'our Clark'?"

Lois called from behind, "And why in the he—" She broke off, probably remembering Jason, "—heck would anyone care about us 1000 years from now?"

"Well… in our dimension, Clark Kent is revered as a hero," Imra explained. "He was actually our inspiration for creating the Legion of Superheroes. There is even a museum dedicated to Sup—"

"Imra!" Querl interrupted. "It's too early to tell him about that—!"

"You mean 'Superman'?" Clark asked impatiently. He still wasn't sure what to think about that. Apparently his doubles in more than one reality had become a public superhero. Was that what the future held for him? A life of living as 'Earth's alien protector'? He pushed down a feeling of rebellion – he didn't want to believe that his destiny was already predetermined.

Querl's face fell. "Yes. I suppose Jason explained to you about his father?"

They all nodded.

"No wonder the dimensions are in such flux. Changing history can be very damaging to any reality… more than one has collapsed in crisis…"

"Blah, blah, blah, 'the butterfly effect' and all that," Lois moved with Jason to Clark's other side. "Are you here to fix it? Because if I were Jason's mom…"

Clark and Chloe turned to look at her with an identical raised eyebrow.

"Don't look at me like that, you know what I mean," Lois growled. "If I were the other me, I'd be out of my mind with worry. I bet his dad is, too. The longer we stand around here yapping about dimensions and alternate realities, the longer it takes to get him home."

"Well, actually, I can bring Jason back to the exact moment when he disappeared from his own dimension. How long we discuss these issues is irrelevant to—"

"Querl…" Imra chided gently.

"Wait a moment, Lois. All of you. I'm not willing to hand Jason over to the two of you. You could be anyone. You could be the very people responsible for him being in this dimension in the first place." Clark made himself as tall and menacing as he could, dropping his voice at least an octave. "If you take him with you, you'll need to take me, too. With all your technology, I'm sure you would be able to return me back here?"

"Actually, we _were_ going to offer that you come along with us. You see…" Querl raised his arm to tap a few more buttons. "…according to my calculations, unless you both go, we have very little chance of stopping him."

"Him?" This was getting ridiculous.

"Mordru."

_Like that is supposed to help._ Clark gave him a blank stare.

"He is an extremely powerful sorcerer in the 31st century. Somehow he was able to travel to Jason's dimension and send him here with…" Querl shuddered briefly before continuing. "…magic. We have not yet determined why."

"But I'm useless against magic…" Clark began, then shook his head "…but you probably already know that. What can I possibly do?"

Querl's lips tightened. "I must tell you the truth, I am gravely troubled by this. I am hoping that we will be able to determine a plan once we have returned Jason to his correct time and place. Because if we cannot…"

Imra placed a hand on Querl's arm consolingly.

He nodded and continued. "…my calculations suggest that any other permutation is doomed to failure. You must come."

Coming was already an absolute certainty, but Clark couldn't help but ask. "Or…?"

"Jason's dimension will cease to exist."


	5. Chapter 5

Clark heard Jason's heart rate shoot up just before he cried out in fear. "No!"

"We won't let that happen, Jason." Clark immediately recognized the terror in the boy's voice. The sound recalled the images of Jor-El and Jonathan to his mind – he couldn't put Jason through the same devastating loss.

He turned to Querl. "I'm still not sure I can trust you, but I don't seem to have a choice."

"This is the _right_ choice, Kal-El. I promise," Imra said, reaching out her hands to both Clark and Jason. "Your trust is not misplaced."

Clark immediately bent down to kneel in front of Jason. This wasn't just his decision. "Hey, Jason, what do you think? Should we trust them?"

"You're going, right?"

Clark nodded.

Jason looked up at Lois with concern. "Is M—Lois going, too?"

"Well, I—" Lois began, but Imra's melodious voice cut in.

"I'm afraid she can't go. Miss Sullivan must stay behind as well. Only the two of you…"

Querl added, "The time stream is already in considerable flux."

"And there is limited space in the Time Bubble." Imra indicated to the golden pod behind them.

"That, too," Querl agreed.

This news made Jason frown. "I really want to get home…"

"I assure you that this is the way to do it," Querl put in, but Jason kept his eyes locked on Clark's.

Lois knelt on the other side of Jason. "Go with Clark. He'll keep you safe." Above Jason's head, Lois flashed Clark a look that said, _You'd better, or you'll have to deal with me!_ "I'll miss you, kiddo. It was great to meet you."

Chloe came to stand behind him. "I'll miss you, too. And Clark," she went on, placing a hand on Clark's shoulder. "Come back, okay?"

Lois' face twisted in embarrassment. "Yeah, you'd better come back. Who else would I have left to pick on?" She grinned briefly in that tomboyish way she sometimes had, before scowling. "And you owe me a_ way_ more detailed explanation about all this when you get back, too."

"I promise." He grinned back. She was so mercurial.

To Chloe, he asked, "You remember how to get back through the portal to Smallville?" She nodded, staying silent.

He held out his palm to Jason. "Ready to go?"

Jason nodded and took his hand. Clark stood up. They walked toward their odd visitors, who shared a concerned glance before turning their attention back to Clark and Jason.

Clark stopped in place. "What?"

Querl opened his mouth, but then shook it decisively. "It's not important now… and it can wait until I bring you back home." He looked into Clark's eyes earnestly, almost hopefully. "I promise to tell you then."

Clark pressed his lips together. He was about to protest, but his vision blurred for a moment and he suddenly felt a wave of resolve. _It's more important to get Jason back, anyway. It's not as if I haven't kept my share of secrets, too._ "All right. I'll hold you to that."

Querl smiled in relief. He tapped a sequence on his arm controller and the golden pod – the Time Bubble – opened a portal in the side. He gestured for everyone to precede him. Clark gripped Jason's hand tighter and stepped inside.

The portal closed behind them and Clark looked around. There were a couple of seats floating over a metallic floor, with a holographic display of some sort hovering in the middle, not attached to anything visible. Querl walked over to the display to enter some commands. "This shouldn't take long." The walls suddenly shifted into a swirling vortex, and Clark fought a sudden queasiness. Jason had dropped his hand and was staring around him in wonder.

"So…" Clark started, trying to get his mind off of the walls, "you're called the _Legion_ of Superheroes, right? Why did only two of you come?"

"The ripple effect caused by the alteration to the timeline is disruptive and destructive – causing many different catastrophes to deal with. As a result, none of the other Legionnaires were free to travel in the Time Bubble with us," Querl explained, not looking up from the display. "And with the timestream being hazardous to traverse – it would have been risky to send more, especially when they are needed now."

"And we were uniquely suited to traveling to the source of the timeline disturbance," Imra said serenely.

Jason broke from his trance. "Really?" he asked, clearly curious. "Querl is really good with computers… what is your power?" Clark turned toward her, just as curious.

"I—"

At that moment, the swirling stopped. "We're here," Querl announced.

The doorway opened and Jason ran to look outside of the Bubble. He gasped. "We're home!" Then he jumped out. They followed him as quickly as possible.

Clark looked around. They appeared to be in an office, nothing remarkable about it – a couple of framed pictures and newspaper articles on the wall. He had just determined that the articles were taken from the _Daily Planet_, when the Time Bubble vanished in a flash of light behind them.

"Are you sure this is the right place?"

"I think so…" Jason walked over to the door, and cracked open the doorway to peer out. A wide smile suddenly grew on his face. "Mom!" Jason rushed out into the next room.

It was too late to stop him, so Clark used his X-ray vision to keep track of him. The boy had made a beeline for a woman working at a desk halfway across the bullpen. She looked up toward Jason and Clark was struck speechless. The hair was different, there were a few more lines around her eyes and mouth, but it was distinctly… Lois.

She put her arms around Jason, kissing him on the top of the head. With his super-hearing, he overheard her say, "What's up, Munchkin? Have a good nap?"

Querl and Imra walked calmly toward the doorway to follow Jason. "Wait!" Clark held up a hand in alarm. "You can't just walk out there like that—!" Even if he'd never been to this reality, he doubted they would pass for the average person on the street.

"Don't worry, Kal-El. It will be fine." Imra smiled. "You were curious about my talents? Watch."

She stopped just outside the door, and lifted her hands to her temples. Her eyes began to glow an eerie shade of magenta and waves of power seemed to roll from her. "You will not notice anything amiss. Go about your daily business." Clark looked out across the bullpen, where everyone except Jason and Lois were frozen in place, their eyes glowing the same bizarre shade of pink. A moment later, she lowered her hands, and the trance was broken. Everyone moved about as they had before.

"You can control minds?" he asked, deeply troubled.

"Yes. But I assure you, it's only for their protection. They were never meant to see us. If Mordru hadn't interfered…"

By this time, Querl had walked past them. No one so much as blinked at the sight of a green-skinned young man with robotic arms. The three of them quietly made their way toward Lois and Jason.

Lois was still focused on Jason, stroking his hair back from his eyes. "I'm glad you're happy to see me… but what brought on this…?" She trailed off when she realized that they had company.

Her eyes widened. "Holy—" She grasped Jason close to her. "Who the hell—?" Her eyes frantically traveled between Clark Querl, and Imra, and then back to Clark. "What happened to _you_? And why is no one else freaking out here?"

"It's okay, Mom. They're with us."

Lois looked down in surprise. "With _us_?"

"Lois Lane." Querl held out a hand to shake, which Lois ignored. "Allow us to introduce ourselves. My name is Querl Dox, and this is Imra Ardeen."

"Nice to meet you," Imra said. "I have placed a mental block on anyone observing us. They will ignore us almost completely."

"We are travelers from the 31st century. We are here to—"

Lois didn't let him finish. "Are you just going to stand there looking foolish, Clark? What the hell happened to you, and…" She dropped her voice to a bare whisper. "…where are your glasses?"

He blinked. He supposed he had been standing there looking flummoxed. This Lois was so much like his own Lois, but she had grown into a… force of nature… He tried to find his voice. "I'm not Clark. Well, not _your_ Clark. He's…"

"He's on his way home!" Jason supplied, pointing at the television monitors.

On a live feed, the monitors showed a red-caped figure sailing through the air, one fist held straight in front of him. Below the video, the news crawl read, _"Superman Returns from Successful Moon Mission."_ A subtitle below added, _"Space Program finally back on track?"_

She hardly reacted to the knowledge that all of these newcomers knew about Clark's dual identity. "If you're not my Clark, what kind of Clark are you?"

"I'm…"

"I think I can explain this, Ms. Lane," Querl put in hastily. "This is a younger Clark Kent, from an alternate dimension. Your son, Jason, was sent to his dimension through a magic spell cast by the sorcerer Mordru. I brought both of them back here because we hope to stop the havoc Mordru will certainly wreak on this timeline."

"That's true, Mom. I was there. It was like here, but all different! And there was this lady named Chloe, too."

"Chloe?" Lois asked, puzzled. "My cousin? I haven't thought about her for years…"

_Well, that answers that question… Chloe will be relieved to hear she exists here._ "You two are pretty close in my world."

"Is your husband due back soon? I think he should be here before I explain any further," Querl asked diffidently. "Do you have a 'signal watch'..?"

"A watch?" Lois snorted. "No. But just a minute." She cleared her throat, but then spoke in a lowered voice. "Clark! You'd better get back to the _Planet_ ASAP. We've got visitors."

Lois looked back up at all of them. "Take a seat. He shouldn't be long." As they pulled chairs toward her desk, she regarded Clark with surprised appreciation. "Wow."

"What?" Clark asked, highly uncomfortable under her gaze.

"It's just…" She swallowed. "If my Clark had looked like you do back when we first met… I don't think I would have ignored him for even one second…" She winked. Imra chuckled beside him.

Clark blushed. The Lois of the vision Jor-El had shown him had reacted almost the same way. Of course, his own Lois had first met him while he was stark naked… and she was hardly throwing herself at him.

Querl tried to help. "Well, you must admit that was the point – he needed to blend in to separate himself from his hero persona…"

"Lois?" A querulous shout came from the direction of the elevators. "What's all this?"

Everyone turned to see a tall, awkward man in a brown suit clumsily making his way toward Lois' desk. "Clark!"

The Older Clark got within five feet of him and then stopped. He ran his gaze over the three of them slowly, warily – Younger Clark guessed he was using his X-ray vision on them. When he finished, he ran a hand through his hair in confusion. "Well, I'll be darned."

He looked at Querl. "You're clearly some sort of robotic alien." Gesturing at Imra, he said, "And you're surely human, though I've never seen eyes like that before…" And then he looked at Younger Clark. "And you…"

Younger Clark's lips twitched in amusement. "Jor-El forgot to tell you about this possibility, too?"

* * *

Part 6 – TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Older Clark pushed his glasses up his nose and huffed in surprise. "Uh… no. Jor-El certainly never mentioned anything like this. But then—" He stopped to look over at his son, Jason. "Jor-El has been known to be wrong on occasion…" He reached over to ruffle Jason's hair.

"On occasion?" Lois scoffed, raising an eyebrow.

Older Clark shrugged. Younger Clark glanced between the two older reporters. "I know he's my… our… father, but he's been nothing but trouble for me," he offered.

Lois gestured to him with an expression of triumph. "See? What have I been saying for _years_?"

Older Clark shook his head, as if this were an argument they'd had a million times. "Anyway, what exactly is going on? Where are you from?" He looked down his glasses at Younger Clark. "And how can you be me?"

"If you'll permit me," Querl answered for everyone, a touch of pride in his voice. "I can answer all of your questions. Is there a place where we can confer – privately?"

A few minutes later, they were all in the conference room. Even though they were enclosed with glass on three sides, no one so much as bothered them. Older Clark listened intensely to the explanation of what had happened, and why they were here, asking a few questions about dimensions and time travel along the way. Lois asked several pointed questions herself, neither one willing to trust the information at face value.

Strangely enough, Younger Clark felt relieved. He was still not sure whether Querl and Imra could be trusted or whether this was some sort of elaborate set-up.

So he simply sat back and watched, answering questions when asked, but otherwise staying out of the conversation. Lois and Clark were particularly fascinating to watch. He spoke with such authority, yet was incredibly self-effacing as well. She was full of fire, quick with the hard-hitting questions, and completely protective of Jason. And though the situation was extremely serious, the two of them kept up an affectionate banter to break the tension.

During the course of the discussion, it became clear that Lois and Clark were a team – in reporting, in parenting, and in marriage. Lois supported him in his superhero duties – not just standing on the sidelines, but doing her best as a reporter to help him without attracting attention.

When he imagined himself and his own Lois in these roles, he felt a strange sort of disconnect. Was this really what the future had in store for them?

"Another version of me really went with you to the future?" Older Clark asked in amazement, leaning forward on his elbows.

"You can just stop those gears turning _right now_," Lois chided, annoyed. "I lost you for five whole years, and that was bad enough. There's no _way_ you're going a thousand years into the future."

Older Clark teased her, "But if time isn't a fac—"

"I'm afraid time _is_ a factor now." Querl brought up a holographic display above his arm. "If you look at the timeline plotted here on this chart, you can see a comparison of the calculations before…" He pointed to a set of lines on the screen. "…and after… we returned Jason to this dimension." The two sets coalesced into one. "Though the timestream seems more stable to a point, it seems to unravel right here without intervention." He pointed to a place where the lines suddenly shot off the edges of the chart. "And the fluctuations are so severe that I can't precisely pinpoint when it will happen."

Younger Clark sat up from the armchair in alarm, breaking his role as observer. "I thought you said that bringing both of us back would fix that?"

"I said, 'without intervention.' Based on your answers," Querl nodded at Older Clark. "I believe I have determined a plan."

"Just now?" Lois asked, disbelieving.

"My processors allow me to run several routines simultaneously…"

"Modesty is not part of Querl's programming," Imra added, winking at Lois.

Lois gave a short laugh.

"Mordru is an extremely powerful sorcerer, but he has a few weaknesses," Querl continued, ignoring the ladies' exchange. "An airless container will render him powerless."

"But if he's so powerful, how can we possibly trap him?" Younger Clark asked.

Querl smiled slowly, a very human-like expression on his alien face, and looked him directly in the eyes. "This is why we brought _you_ along."

* * *

"You want me to what?!" Younger Clark peered over the edge of the _Daily Planet_'s roof, a feeling of vertigo washing over him.

Lois and Jason were with Imra, who was preparing the container. She hoped to hide it from Mordru until it was too late. But in order to ensnare the sorcerer, the two Clarks would need to work together to trap him in his prison at super-speed.

But no one had ever mentioned _this_ part of the plan… until now. Knowing that Querl and Older Clark were standing behind him made it worse. Especially with his doppelganger dressed in his primary-colored spandex.

"To fly at super-speed," Querl repeated.

"Um…" Clark turned around and looked down at his feet. "That's not going to be possible."

Querl and Superman waited curiously.

"I can't fly," he answered quietly.

Querl looked troubled and began to tap again on his arm input. "I seem to have conflicting information about that…"

"You really don't fly?" Superman asked. "How old are you? About..."

"Twenty-one," Clark answered with a frown.

"Hmm. I was about fifteen…" He quickly added, "But the first time was completely by accident." He smiled, remembering. "It was more like 'didn't hit the ground.' I fell through the top of the barn. Controlled flight came a bit later."

"Well, I _have_ flown before, but I can't remember how…" He broke off, embarrassed. He suddenly wished he'd listened to Kara when she tried to teach him. "It's complicated."

Querl reached into his belt and drew something out of it. "Here. Use this." In the center of his upturned palm was a golden ring with the Legion emblem.

Clark regarded the ring warily. "What does it do?"

"This." Querl lifted his hand to show his matching ring, and he began to rise into the air, slowing to hover about four feet in the air. "It's a 'flight ring.' One of my inventions." He floated back downward and placed the ring between his fingers to hold out toward Clark. "Please. Give it a try."

A ring? To fly? "All right…" Taking the ring carefully, he slid it onto the index finger of his right hand. "Now what?"

Querl lifted his hands, fingertips pointing toward the sky. "Simply… fly."

Clark lifted his hands in a similar manner, feeling absolutely ridiculous. Nothing happened. "Still not flying."

"Try imagining your feet lifting from the ground," Superman suggested.

Clark sighed, closing his eyes. He tried to visualize floating from the ground, lifting into the air. He opened his eyes… and stumbled a few inches back to the concrete of the roof.

"You were doing it!" Superman encouraged.

"Barely," Clark added with a wry grimace.

"Try again. This time with your eyes open."

Clark lifted his arms again, and tried to will himself upward. He could feel a slight tug, but otherwise he remained frustratingly non-airborne.

"I usually just use one fist, pointed in the direction I want to go." Superman demonstrated, lifting into the air.

Clark shrugged, and tried to imitate his older self, pointing his right fist toward the sky. He noticed the spire of a neighboring building. _Maybe if I aim for that…_

All of a sudden, he was rising into the air. "Whoa!" he shouted in startlement, and he began to careen toward the left…

"Watch out!" Superman called out.

But it was too late. With a clang that echoed into the late afternoon air he slammed… right into the side of the _Planet_ globe. Romania would never be the same.

But somehow he ricocheted upward, barely missing one of the pillars before finding himself in the open air between buildings… the street fifty stories below. His stomach dropped out.

But he felt a steadying hand on his arm, and saw Querl flying beside him.

"Where's…?"

"Welding the base of the globe, he will join us soon." Querl started to fly faster, moving ahead of Clark. "Your form is good, now we need to increase your speed."

Superman settled in beside Clark. "It's a lot like super-speed running. You—" He paused for a moment. "You can do that, right?"

"Yes," Clark answered tightly, trying to keep all his concentration on staying airborne.

"Then, just… go!" Superman shot forward in a blur of color, knocking Clark back in his wake.

"Showoff," Clark murmured. Then he realized that he was simply floating steadily in the air, not falling, not wavering. "Huh."

Clark placed his fist out in front again, not willing to be left behind. _Think fast thoughts_. _Think fast thoughts,_ he chanted in his mind like a mantra. He began to move again, and it felt as if he were getting faster… the wind plastered his hair back from his face, and the clouds of the upper atmosphere seemed to be getting closer and closer…

Clark punched through a cumulus cloud, whooping in triumph. But he didn't stop. This was fun!

Superman was suddenly beside him again, flanking him on the right. He smiled in approval. Clark didn't quite know how to take that. He felt proud, but yet also condescended to at the same time.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this." Clark put on a little more speed.

"Do you want to see how fast you can go?" Superman asked. "See if you can keep up." With that, Superman shot forward.

_Why that…_ Clark pressed his lips together, and tried to go as fast as possible. The blue and red ahead of him seemed like a tiny speck that wasn't really getting any larger.

_Is he trying to lose me or something? I thought we were working _together!

He could feel a flare of anger in his belly, and a determination not to be beaten. The clouds blurred into a white smear below him.

Power coursed through him as he shot across the sky – and opened a doorway in his mind.

He remembered.

Remembered what it was like to launch into the clouds like a rocket, to zip across time zones, to race an airplane. He felt as if he could circle the globe in an instant.

Or simply… catch himself.

A moment later, he was a hand's grasp away from Superman's boot. His older self turned to look at him with a surprised smile. He opened his mouth—

_"CLAAARK!!"_

The shout pierced both of their eardrums. Clark flinched, his flight halted.

But Superman simply whispered, _"Lois…"_ before swiftly diving earthward.

Clark made to follow him, his heart clenching in fear, but Querl was suddenly in his face.

"No! We cannot just rush in – what if it is a trap? Imra! Can you read me?" A holographic image of Imra appeared above Querl's flight ring. "What's going on?"

Her voice, distant and tinny, accompanied her faint image. "It's Mordru! You've got to come as quickly as you can. He's not after Jason! It's Cl—" Her transmission was cut off.

"What happened!"

"He must have taken her ring – I hope it was not also her life…" He turned and began to fly upward rapidly. "We must put our portion of the plan into action. We must trust that, between Superman and Imra, they can keep him occupied long enough."

Clark followed, pulse racing. Although he had not known them long, he could not imagine losing any of them. He tuned his super-hearing on Imra far below – it was probably the only way to determine what kind of danger they were in…

_"Mordru – leave now!"_ Imra was commanding. _"Your presence here is a danger to everyone in this timeline – including yourself!"_

A deep, sinister sounding voice answered her. _"I think you overstate the danger… at least to myself…"_ Mordru chuckled. _"I am immortal, and invincible, even from a metahuman such as you. And hiding will not help you – I will easily find you with the proper spell."_

A quieter voice, sounding almost like a whispered prayer, faintly came next, _"Saturn Girl, can he really find us?"_

'Saturn Girl'? Clark had never thought to ask if they used superhero codenames. Obviously, Jason had.

_"He may…"_ she whispered back to him. _"But don't worry. Your dad, Clark and Brainiac 5's plan is a good one."_

Clark's flight upward shuddered to a stop.

'Brainiac 5'? _I'm working with a…_

_…BrainIAC?!_

* * *

Part 7 - TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Clark's first reaction was to pull angrily at the golden ring on his finger. What if it was poisoning him even now?

He brought it as far as his first knuckle before stopping in fright. How was he staying aloft? With the ring… or his own power? Would he plunge thousands of feet to the earth below?

_"Mordru!"_ Superman's deep voice filtered through Clark's super-hearing. _"I'm the one you want. Leave these people alone – they can't hurt you."_

_"Ah, you are quite correct, Superman,"_ Mordru said with smug satisfaction. Clark heard Superman let out an _oof!_ of surprise – had he been captured? _"I still do not understand why my earlier spell was unsuccessful – but no matter. This is easily corrected."_

No, Clark had to leave the ring on until he could help – there was no telling how much time they had down there. Clark rotated toward the ground, toward Metropolis, shooting forward….

_"Clark!"_ This time, Querl's shout – no, Brainiac 5's shout – rang in his ears, but he put on a touch of speed. _"Where are you going?!"_

Clark ignored his cry of panic. He may not have looked anything like Milton Fine had, hiding his nature behind an alien appearance, but Clark's days of being fooled by that creature were _over._

_"Clark!"_ Brainiac 5's image appeared in the ring hologram above his hand, and Clark forced his eyes forward and away from the image. _"You'll never build up enough speed to trap Mordru this way! You must begin from outside the Earth's atmosphere!"_

Clark kept his attention determinedly on the crisis below, ignoring Brainiac 5 completely.

_"Don't bother struggling against those bonds, Superman. Even with all your super-strength, they will hold you as fast as these three here."_ Clark's heart sped up. Mordru must have discovered Imra, Lois and Jason!

Out of the corner of Clark's eye, Querl's holographic image shook his head in frustration._ "In all my… hang on…"_ The robot cut off the transmission after Clark refused to answer.

Suddenly, Clark's head filled with an echoing voice. Imra – Saturn Girl. _"Clark! Are you all right?"_

As much as he worried for her and his alternate family, he felt another pang of mistrust. She had helped Brainiac 5 with his deception. And she was obviously much more powerful than she appeared at first. Even held by magical bonds, she could speak telepathically to him. How did you ignore a voice inside your own head? "I'm fine. Coming to help," he answered tersely.

_"Thank you, Clark. You must get here before Mordru completes another spell." _Her mental voice stopped, and he could somehow sense confusion over the link. _"But Querl says you are going in the opposite direction. You are not answering his transmission…"_

"_Querl…_" Clark placed heavy emphasis on the word. "…can talk to me if he catches me. Let him try."

_"What…?"_ Then her mental voice changed. _"Oh… You have discovered he is a Brainiac…"_

Clark lips pressed together as mistrust turned to anger. She could read his thoughts, too? "Get out of my head!" How did you fight a telepath and a scientifically-advanced robot?

_"Clark, Clark… please. I will not stay, but… let him talk to you."_

"Why? The other Brainiac nearly destroyed me! He took away my cousin! He put my girlfriend and best friend into a coma!" Clark flew even faster. He had to get this ring off, now.

_"Querl is _nothing_ like his ancestor, Clark. Please believe me."_ She paused, and he could almost sense her riffling through his memories. _"Would you want others to judge you based on your own father?"_ Imra's voice was suddenly gone.

Her question came like a sucker punch to the gut. She had picked out one of his single greatest fears and was using it against him. He slowed and tensed his fists and body. "How dare…"

"Clark!"

In slowing, he had allowed Brainiac to get close to him again. "Listen to me! I am sorry I never told you, but I…"

"You what?!" Clark threw back at him. "You didn't think I'd come?"

"I was afraid if I told you, you wouldn't trust me." He drifted closer, face drawn with remorse.

"That must be your 12th-level intellect at work," Clark responded, voice thick with sarcasm.

"But Clark, I am not Brainiac 1.0 – I have put his legacy behind me to help people – to right wrongs instead of causing them. Don't judge me based on him. I beg you."

"When you start out by hiding important information from me – how can you expect me to believe that?"

"Have you not done the same thing? Hidden who you are from people who would misunderstand?"

Clark felt his stomach drop out. Yes, he had, but…

_"Ah…"_ Mordru's voice cut through his stormy thoughts. _"I can understand why you wish to protect Lois Lane… but this young boy…? It seems that the 'Scion of Krypton' is not its last after all…"_

_"Jason!"_ Lois shouted._ "No!"_ Her voice seemed to choke off the next moment.

Brainiac flew directly in front of Clark's line of sight. "Imra says we must hurry." Querl made an adjustment on his arm. "I am going to get the prison in place… if you hurry, you can still catch him by surprise." His eyes widened in entreaty. "Please. For them."

Brainiac 5 didn't wait around for Clark to answer – he flew downward, toward the spires of Metropolis shining in the sun below.

Clark paused, but only for a moment. His decision made, he pointed his fist toward the upper reaches of the clouds. If it would help the other Clark, Lois, and little Jason, he had to put his mistrust aside.

As rapidly as possible, Clark pierced through the cloud cover, into the ever-thinning air. He broke through the pull of Earth's gravity, just high enough to feel the weightlessness. Querl and Imra had assured him he would be protected up here – even Superman had assured him that he often spent time up here. He could feel the deep cold, even though he did not really feel the pain a human being would.

Clark closed his eyes.

Up here, in the deep silence of space, there was no interference from the billions of competing sounds. He could focus precisely on what Mordru was now saying.

_"Those lives intended for a Red Sun's dawn  
Descended from the dwellers of an icy shore…"_

He opened his eyes and shot downward, pointing himself like one of Oliver's arrows, unerring toward the target. Faster than the naked eye, he sliced through the clouds, and down toward the _Daily Planet_.

To Clark's enhanced senses, however, time slowed to a crawl. He could see the scene below him. Superman was bound by glowing magical bands, his face reddened with strain. Jason floated beside him, struggling futilely. Lois thrashed on the ground with Imra, who looked as serene as ever.

Mordru, dressed in flowing purple and gold robes, had his hands raised toward his captives. His next phrase slithered through the slowed time like poisonous honey:

_"At once from this existence begone…"_

Where was Querl?

It didn't matter. Clark's job was simple: catch Mordru off-guard. The sorcerer might be very powerful, but he needed line-of-sight to cast his spells. And hopefully he wouldn't see Clark until it was too late.

Mordru's mouth opened to utter the final phrase of his incantation:

_"Never to return for—"_

Clark plowed into the sorcerer with a _bang_, knocking him off his feet and into one of the corner pillars on the roof.

Clark was kicked backward, as if he had touched an invisible electrical fence, crackles of magical energy shooting in all directions. But the surprise attack had worked. The magical bands vanished that instant.

Clark hovered above for just a second. Just long enough for Mordru to raise his grey head and take note of him in astonishment. "Another…?"

In a blink, Superman was out of sight, behind the building and lifting the heavy prison from behind the force field where Querl had hidden it.

_"Now, Clark!"_ Imra shouted in his head.

Clark zoomed into Mordru again, smashing him bodily through the pillar and into the open air above the street. Brick and mortar showered everywhere, but Mordru slammed into the open maw of the container.

With a clang of metal, the opening shut, and it was surrounded with a glowing ball of energy, much like the Time Bubble they had traveled in.

"Thank you, Clark," Superman said beside him. He didn't look any the worse for wear, whatever the sorcerer had done to him.

Clark finally took a breath. "Are you all right?"

Superman simply nodded.

Imra floated toward them, the detritus she must have caught with telekinesis from the shattered pillar trailing in her wake. As she moved, the pillar began to reform itself and settle back to its original position.

Querl flew beside the Time Bubble, directing it to hover it mid-air above the _Planet_ rooftop. They all joined him there, where Lois and Jason were waiting anxiously. As Superman touched down, the boy ran to him and hugged him fiercely around the legs. "Dad!" Lois quickly threw her arms around his shoulders in relief.

Setting down himself, Clark gestured at the glowing contraption. "What are you going to do with _that_?"

"We will send it back to the 31st century to deal with," Imra answered. "Once he has been removed from this time stream, things should begin to go back to normal."

Querl added, "I will take it and be back…" He looked at Clark with wary hope. "Will you be all right here with Imra?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Querl smiled grimly. Clark's answer would have to be enough for now. "Very well, I will return momentarily." The Time Bubble's portal opened, and he and the device vanished with a flash of light.

Imra took a few steps toward him, and placed a hand on his forearm. "He is deeply sorry that he deceived you, you know. And very grateful for your help."

Clark's arm twitched, but he didn't pull away. "I…" Clark frowned. "I'm tired of being used for other people's plans…"

"I understand, Clark. But your time is coming. Have faith."

"I have been trying to…" Clark trailed off as he caught sight again of Superman, Lois and Jason. They seemed so strong in the face of this danger… would he ever have that? Could he set his own course, and have that kind of support as well…?

Lois noticed him looking over toward them. "Thank you, Clark. I think I see a 'Super' future for you yet." She winked.

"Uh, I…" Clark rubbed the back of his head with his palm, suddenly flustered. "Thanks," he finally managed.

"You'll get there," Superman assured him.

Clark didn't respond aloud. Would he? For years he had been fighting fate, fighting taking a larger role in the world. Did he even want to? But being around this Super-family was making him re-think _everything_.

In another flash of light, the Time Bubble was back. Querl stepped out of the contraption, looking relieved. "It is done."

"And the time stream has stabilized?" Imra asked from beside him, removing her hand from his arm.

Querl brought up the display, and nodded. "Yes… all except for a couple of loose ends."

"What loose ends?" Clark asked in concern.

"The biggest? You must return to your own dimension, to minimize any damage your presence here has caused."

"I see…" Clark answered with a touch of sadness. He had so many more things he would have liked to ask… If only he'd realized how short the time was… He turned toward Superman and his family. "I guess this is goodbye."

"Take care." Superman strode over and clapped him on the shoulder.

Lois came over as well, standing on tiptoe to plant a small kiss on his cheek. "Goodbye. Wouldn't want to keep you from my double, now would we?" Clark tried not to blush.

"Bye, Clark!" Jason hugged him around the waist. "I'll miss you!"

Clark smiled, mussing the boy's hair. "I'll miss you, too. Don't forget me, okay?"

Querl and Imra gave each other another unreadable look. "Uh… we must be going." Querl gestured into the pod. "After you?"

Clark waved with a bittersweet smile as he stepped in. Querl followed him, and moved over to the control panel. But Imra was not with him.

Clark's eyebrows drew together. "Where's Saturn Girl…?"

He turned toward the doorway, and she stepped through. "Here I am, Clark. Shall we go?"

As the Time Bubble disappeared, the violet light dimmed from Superman, Lois and Jason's eyes.

They looked into each other's faces in confusion. Jason was the first to speak. "Oh, Dad! You're back!"

* * *

Part 8 – To Be Concluded


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been on vacation! Here's the finale! And the news that the Legion will be coming to Smallville in season 8 makes me _freak out_ about writing this story in the first place… Back around Part 3, **Van-El II **actually wanted to make a wager on whether the Legion would show up next season – he wanted me to turn this into an epic fic if they showed up in TV canon. But I wouldn't take that bet. Whew, saved! ;)

Lois rocked her foot impatiently inside her heel. She and Chloe had only been back at the _Planet_ for about thirty minutes – but it had taken them three hours to travel from the Fortress… to the caves in Smallville… back to Metropolis in Chloe's car.

_We should have just waited at that Ice Palace—Fortress thing—whatever… I mean, really, couldn't Robot Boy have just returned Clark to the same moment in time that he'd left?_ Not to mention the fact that it would have taken Clark a matter of minutes to get them back here…

Lois started to watch the clock, even though she had been trying to avoid that all afternoon. Nearly quitting time. If they had waited, they would still be there now. Maybe freezing to death, too…

Why weren't they back by now? Had something gone wrong? As the seconds ticked by, was she witnessing the end of her dimension as she knew it?

Lois dragged her eyes away, focusing instead on Chloe, who worked at her computer. She seemed unconcerned, except for biting the corner of her bottom lip the way she did when she was nervous.

Chloe had spent the drive filling Lois in on the last few years regarding Clark. It was amazing how much Clark and Chloe had managed to hide from all of them. And the drive had really helped her organize her thoughts on the whole thing. Intellectually, she understood all of their reasoning for keeping Clark's background and powers secret… Personally, she thought it sucked.

Apparently, in Jason's world, _she_ was the one Clark trusted with this secret! And if she had been reading Querl and Imra's comments correctly, his wasn't the only world like that. What went wrong?

But then again, it made her a little nervous to consider a world like Jason's. Sure, she'd be in the know… but then she'd also be married… to Clark! And mother… to Clark's son! Hours after learning that information, Lois still wasn't sure how she felt about it.

Granted, she and the farm boy might get along pretty well, there might have been a spark of chemistry there that one time with the lipstick… but he was just… he was too… hell, he was _Smallville!_ She couldn't deny that she was starting to view Clark in a different light, though…

A flash of light to the left startled her out of her thoughts, and drew her eyes. The light coalesced into the golden form of the Time Bubble. _Finally!_

It didn't matter that the Bubble's appearance in the middle of the _Planet_ was causing shock and gasps of fear throughout the room – both she and Chloe leapt up from their chairs.

Imra stepped out of the Bubble first, her eyes glowing a strange shade of pink… but Lois zipped past her to tackle Clark in a hug, beating even Chloe to the punch. Clark _oofed_ in surprise. His chest was hard as steel, but Lois didn't care.

Lois suddenly realized what she had done and stepped back, awkwardly brushing her hair out of her face. "Welcome back, Smallville." The Bubble vanished into thin air, leaving its occupants standing on the carpet of the bullpen.

Chloe threaded between them to hug Clark next. "Did everything go okay?"

Querl came around Clark's other side, and both girls startled slightly. If he had seemed completely alien in the Fortress, he looked even more out of place here amidst the rows of office desks. "With Clark's help, we were able to work together to defeat Mordru. The time stream has been restored in young Jason's dimension." He placed a robotic hand on Clark's shoulder. "We were just in time."

"Thank goodness," Chloe sighed.

"Yeah," Clark said, seeming to find his voice. He was staring strangely at Lois – she couldn't really read the emotion behind his eyes. What had he seen in that other world to make him look at her that way?

Lois opened her mouth to ask, but Chloe spoke first. "Why is everyone frozen in place?"

Scanning the room herself, Lois noticed everyone's eyes – except the five of them – were glowing the same odd pink as Imra's. "That's not shock… is it?"

Imra gestured around them calmly. "In their minds, these people see nothing out of the ordinary. It would be impractical to let them see us. When we leave, they'll go back to normal, as if none of this happened."

Querl nodded. "All Titanians can do this harmlessly."

"She did the same thing back in Jason's world," Clark added.

She…? Lois frowned. As calm and benign as the girl appeared, the thought of a person, even a 'superhero' who could control minds was a bit disturbing. But Clark was seeming to accept it without a lot of fuss… "So…" she began, changing the subject. "What was it like there?"

"Did you get to meet the other Clark and Lois?" Chloe added with interest.

"Yes, I did." Clark shrugged awkwardly. "It was… different. The other me is almost… larger than life. And people seem to love him there. And Lois…"

Lois held up her hands. "Wait! I don't want to know!" Lois closed her eyes. "Just tell me one thing. Was she awesome?"

Lois opened one eye to see Clark's smirk. "Of course she was. What do _you_ think?" Turning to Chloe, he added, "And Chloe Sullivan was alive and well, though Lois hadn't seen her in years." That made Chloe grin.

"You are forgetting to tell them about the power you discovered, Clark."

"Power?" Lois asked?

Chloe chimed in, "Did you finally…?"

"Well…" Suddenly, he was rising from the floor, hovering several inches from the ground.

"Whoa…" Lois managed.

"Oh, my God!" Chloe clapped her hands over her mouth in delight. Clark floated downward, blushing faintly.

Watching him easily display his superpowers in front of her, now that she'd had some time to think about everything, flipped a switch inside of Lois. This wasn't just her flannel-wearing friend from Hicksville, USA. This was a person who she had known for four whole years without ever letting on that he could do all these amazing things. A person who had probably saved dozens of people – and maybe Lois herself – without taking any credit. What kind of person was he, really? The farm boy? Or this god-like alien? Lois suddenly wanted to know more. Much more. Starting with the people in front of her.

"So…" she said, turning toward the time travelers. "Now what? Are you going to have to leave… or can you answer some questions? It would be fascinating to know if there are disasters which might be prevent—"

"We must leave," Querl cut in. "The longer we stay, the more likely that we will disturb the time stream here as well. Thus far the damage has been minimal."

"Oh," Clark said, seeming more disappointed than any of them. "Thank you for coming, then. And I'm sorry I didn't listen earlier, when I had more time. I will try to remember everything you said." He held out a hand to shake.

Querl took it, and held it fast, eyes widening in sorrow. "You've always been good about that."

He shook Imra's hand next, saying, "And thank you as well. I'll never forget how you helped us."

"Clark, thank you…" She smiled sadly, and lifted her hand to touch his cheek gently. "You don't know what that means to me. It makes this so much harder…"

Clark's eyes began to glow pink.

"Hey!" Lois pushed forward.

"What are you—?" Chloe gasped. Imra stunned them both with a look. With a touch of Imra's gloved fingers to her own temples, Chloe's eyes glowed eerily as well.

Lois found herself unable to move, unable to growl out a protest. _Why are you doing this?!_ she raged inwardly.

_I know this must rankle, Lois. But it is for the best._ Imra's voice rang in her mind, seeming to come from all directions.

_Like hell it is! The three of us could do so much with this knowledge! We could be a team, righting the wrongs out there! Why would you take that away from us…!_

Imra's face grew even more sad. _While this might be true, we cannot predict what kind of alteration might happen in your timeline. No, Lois… _She took a small step closer, her magenta eyes shimmering in compassion. _Clark must come into his destiny in his own time, and his own way. You must learn about Clark in kind, as well. The future shows this much, at least._

_Why wait until the future… why waste any time!?_ This was ridiculous! Couldn't she see that? Lois struggled mentally against her bonds to no avail. _And why are you telling me all this, instead of Clark or Chloe!_

_Their lives will not be as greatly changed by 'forgetting' this day. I wished you to know why, if only for a few moments. _Imra's head tilted in thought._ Tell me, Lois. Would you be as happy heading toward a future set on a fixed path? Or seeing a life filled with possibilities?_

Imra didn't let her answer… maybe she already knew… the world washed magenta and then went white.

* * *

Lois blinked and tilted back and forth on her heels. What in the world had she been thinking about just now? She'd been walking back to do something at her desk, and now she couldn't remember what it was… Weird.

Lois lifted her eyes toward the clock. Still mid-afternoon. Plenty of time to figure it out before deadline…

"Uh…" a familiar voice sounded behind her, and she swiveled in alarm.

"Smallville! When'd _you_ get here?"

"Just now. Coming by to… say hi…?"

"Hi." He seemed as disconcerted as she was. It was going around or something. She called across the aisle. "Chloe! Did you know Clark was here?"

"No…" Chloe put a hand to her head, and then shook it. "Hi, Clark. You need help with something?"

"Not this time. Just in the neighborhood."

Chloe smiled and began to type away at something on her computer again.

"Actually, Lois…" She looked up. Apparently he had remembered. "There's something that _you_ can help me with."

"Oh?"

He darted a glance back at Chloe. "I've been thinking about what you said a couple weeks ago. About how I shouldn't stay on the farm? Start trying to make a difference?" He shifted to block Chloe's view. "I know that Chloe got her job back when Lex left the paper… do you think there are any positions open?"

"There's always something," she said, a grin starting to spread across her face. "I knew you'd see it my way!" Lois pulled an application out of her files, where she'd been saving it. "Are… are you trying to hide it from Chloe or something?"

"Well… I wasn't the best reporter on the _Torch_ staff, you know? I don't know what she would think about me working here…"

"Oh, she'll be thrilled, you know that." Lois whapped Clark on the arm with the application before handing it to him. "What changed your mind?"

"I don't know… I just realized that if I really wanted to go where the action was…"

"Plus, you're here so much, they probably already think you work here," she teased.

He laughed, his smile lighting his face. There was a confidence, a sense of purpose she hadn't noticed before. Was it just making this decision that had caused the change? It was… attractive. She pushed the thought aside to examine later.

"You know, somehow I have this feeling you'll get hired." And strangely, she really did. She stood, sticking out her palm. "Welcome to the _Planet_."

**End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me for the mindwipe! It's actually a canon plot-point in the Legion of Superheroes. I'd be really surprised if Geoff Johns doesn't do the same thing in season 8. (ETA: Actually, there was plenty of mind-wiping of Lois because of the ring in both Season 8 and 9! *feels vindicated*)
> 
> Thanks for reading and reviewing!


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